Serendipity
by Issenblomen
Summary: A year after the escape of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the harrowing events at the resident of Jame Gumb, Dr. Lecter and Special Agent Clarice Starling find that some things are better left unknown just as some of the best things in life are found when one is not looking for them.


Maroon eyes - accented with prosaic obsidian pupils and remarkably exotic red pinpoints - observed every inch of and every happening within the caliginous, cigarette smoke permeated barroom even as the aforementioned incandescent orbs remained focused on the less-than-elegant plastic tumbler which served as the abode of tepid water and several partially melted cubes of once frigid ice as it lingered on the threadbare pine of a nearby table. The owner of said strikingly peregrine eyes seamlessly perceiving events which were effortlessly overlooked by the other patrons of the frowzy hole in the wall, those plebeian customers completely unaware, blissfully ignorant of the rather sinful and the considerably illegal occurrences taking place all around them, no matter where they traveled. Clad in an exorbitant, ashen Gucci suit which was of the finest wool, a cotton shirt the color of a bachelor's button, freshly shined onyx loafers, and a navy blue tie the man who possessed the outlandish maroon stained irises was rather fascinating in his own right, especially considering the fact that he was quite possibly the first and only being to ever enter the slatternly bar wearing anything other than the familiarly typical civvies of the clients in the immediate vicinity. Due to this and the additional fact that this gentleman had never before been seen in this specific bar attracted the questioning gaze of every other being, their eyes sweeping over the the strange man who reclined placidly in a shadowy corner booth whilst sipping contentedly on ice water. Nonetheless in the way that those who fully comprehend the necessity for privacy every person who glanced at the suited man shrugged their shoulders and continued on with their own lives, granting no more thought to man who was rather satisfied with being left in solitude with his thoughts and his mediocre water.

The nectarous scent of saccharine alcohol was cloyingly sugary in the air from the overabundance of alcohol in the bar which ranged from poorly constructed cosmopolitans and mojitos to Irish whiskey and Cuban rum just as the overwhelming mixture of several cheap perfumes assaulted the suited man's sensitive nose as he inhaled whilst lifting the rim of his plastic tumbler to his lips, the wintry liquid filling his mouth and offering refreshment and hydration. Detecting the distinctive scent of Miss Dior Cherie by Dior was not an amazing feat in itself yet to many it was amazing that the cultured man was able to easily dissect the classic fragrance, instantaneously recognizing the blend of strawberry, pink jasmine, and green mandarin all of which bestowed the aroma with an airy effervescence which was refreshing amongst the richer, muskier scents prevalent in the barroom. Fortunately for the refined olfactory glands of the maroon-eyed man the women were the only patrons who had drenched their bodies in perfume, it would be a terrible tragedy if the men had deemed the day important enough for them to bath their bodies in the repugnant stenches of AXE or that dreaded odor known as Allspice.

Spread heterogeneously throughout the bar were approximately three dozen people - including the suited gentleman - most formed throngs by forcefully shoving several battered tables together as the drunkards continued to partake in their recreational activities which consisted of the all-American sport of binge drinking, consuming a surplus of alcoholic beverages in an almost amazingly short period of time. They chatted boisterously amongst themselves as they banged their glasses together and howled with laughter as others sought hard earned haven in the darkened corners where the fluorescent lights of the bar did not reach, several bemoaned their banal woes - one man who looked as though he worked in a coal mine was preoccupied with complaining about his wife who was a tiny bit too fond of gambling meanwhile another man was sobbing quietly to his best friend about his teenage daughter who was participating in unlawful parties which consisted of illicit drug use and kinky sexual orgies. Adjacent to the entrance of the bar the infidelity of a rather unnaturally buxom, emerald-eyed blonde woman wearing an indecently short black pencil skirt was on display as she found herself thoroughly occupied with lecherously groping and fondling the posterior of a 'shitfaced' man who had her pinned against the wall as he busily lavished the woman's plump ruby lips with drunkenly sloppy kisses - the pale halo of creamy skin encircling the base of her left ring finger whilst the remainder of her skin was a bronzed olive hue. The aforementioned man who was being intimately groped wore a moss green wifebeater and camouflage patterned jean pants was exhibiting his own less-than-faithful ways, considering the fact that he was pompously displaying his own plain gold wedding around the ring finger of his own left hand which slid around a fleshy thigh in order to grasp onto the skin of the blonde's right buttock as she moaned wantonly, undaunted by the mass of red-blooded spectators. Such brazen disregard of marital bonds was enough to make most people's blood boil and simmer with the unrestrained heat of their rage and indignance yet for many in the bar the sickening presentation was nothing more than a tool which they used in order to grow aroused . Seated on the creaking bar stool at the j shaped bar closest to the mysterious man who was omniscient even as his eyes never deviated from examining his tumbler of water was a neanic girl who was no older than sixteen, her mass of unruly pastel coffee colored waves hidden partially by the violet hood of her pullover sweatshirt, the young teenager was occupying herself by inhaling shots of Seagram's vodka as though her life depended on it, all the while glancing as discreetly as possible over her slightly quaking shoulders as though she was experiencing the sensation of her parents breathing down her neck. Her hazel eyes were watery and bloodshot, the whites possessing more red than the color they were named after. In the booth closest to the suit clad man a lone woman sat, nervously combing her strawberry blonde curls with her bony fingers as she attempted to cloak the fact that fact that she gave a start every single time a lush returned their glass of alcohol to the table just a smidgen too forcefully or when someone laughed a hint too gutturally, her misty blue eyes scanned over the words printed on the sheaf of papers she held before her face with her free hand; despite the unnecessarily sultry temperature of the interior of the dingy watering hole the anxious middle-aged woman wore an orange turtleneck sweater.

Perhaps the most intriguing spectacle in the entire barroom was the two stereotypically handsome and muscular football who were doing things which were almost never associated with the typically egotistic personas of high school football players considering the fact that the taller and slightly leaner brunette male was nuzzling his nose into the crook of the more muscular blonde boy's neck as the two embraced one another with a tenderness reserved only for lovers and those who were reverently loved. For there in their own shaded corner of the pathetic bar they were capable of cuddling, they could kiss and hug and giggle without being subjected to facing the cruel, harsh reality which existed at their own homes and their high school where there would always exist those who did not approve of their alternative lifestyle, here they were not forced to hide their own special, glorious love among the other anonymous patrons who were too busy drowning their own sorrows or were too goodnatured to notice the homosexuals snogging in the corner booth. At last the two could stroke each other's hair and whisper words of devotion and future acceptance as they conversed openly and honestly. Ears which were just as perceptive as steadfast maroon eyes dutifully listened to the teammates and lovers from across the room as the brunette - Tony - extolled the sparkle in the blonde - Johnny's - cyan eyes the shorter boy answering the compliment with an accolade of his own as he reported just how sexy Tony was when he played running back. The exchange was rather refreshing seeing how the other patrons were indulging in nothing less than infidelity, drug use, and binge drinking.

Employing the use of a limitlessly adroit right hand the enigmatic male smoothed back his ebon hair from the miniscule tip of his genteel widow's peak to the back of his neck -relishing the sensation of his silky raven hair against the skin of his hand, the sensuous facet of the touch not lost on him - where the hand began to knead the kinks in his splenius capitis muscle with the delicate, confident finesse of one who possessed an infinite amount of knowledge pertaining to the medical profession, his manicured fingernails massaging the tissue gingerly, prior to his nimble fingers whispering downward to the top of his trapezius muscle. Inaudibly drumming Johannes Sebastian Bach's timeless _Aria da Capo_ with the tips of his adroit fingers against the smooth skin of his nape, index finger brushing over a scar which had faded and become invisible to those who did not know any better for it was still there, the now etiolated connective tissue continued to coexist with the living tissue of the man's sturdy cervix. Once again against the futile wishes of the inscrutable man with the anomalously shaded eyes his traitorous thoughts remained focused on unpleasant memories from a lifetime ago, agonizing recollections of days he would much rather erase from his mind, traumatic events which had carved covert scars into something other than physical tissue. Already his veritable mind was both blessed and haunted by the heavenly sight of aubergine irises - just as rare as the maroon eyes he bore himself. The aforementioned memory of eggplant eyes was practically pleasurable, the notion of pleasure itself was quite satisfying considering the fact that for nearly a decade the exceedingly erudite man was deprived of his freedom, the unadulterated bliss of life's natural amenities, the luxuries he had obtained after a life of struggling at the bottom of the food chain, wasting away beneath the cruel scrutiny of royals and the other condescending bastards of the world.

Shifting his attention to other, seemingly more pleasant things the incandescent maroon eyes focused on the faded pine bar stools and accents which filled the entire room, the lighter color contrasting against the somberly staid hued fabrics of the clothing of the bar patrons as well as the burgundy colored, walls the sea of clients undulating and fluctuating against the vinous backdrop, their amber colored beers exuding a hoppy scent just as the tart aroma of lemons coalesced with the fruity perfume of raspberries from the stereotypically flavored and cerise cocktails which resided in the hands of drunken females. From the overwhelming amount of times the chain smoking bartender delivered unasked favors by over-pouring alcohol into the overly large glasses used for every drink distributed it was a miracle that no vodka or tequila had found its way into his water, the either careless or simply irresponsible woman was too preoccupied with admiring her less-than-pleasant countenance in her compact mirror as she winked at her reflection and adjusted her heavily applied makeup whilst ignoring the fact that her prime was decades ago and that wrinkled folds of skin now dominated her face. The aforementioned patrons of the female persuasion who were slurping their watermelon pink martinis and carmine hued cocktails in a manner which was much less than ladylike and instead leaned towards what they mistakenly believed to be seductive - in reality the salacious action made them look as though they were crosseyed and rather dimwitted - were the very same women who deemed it appropriate to grind their scantily clad bodies, namely their protruding backsides, against the gyrating pelvises of the men who had purchased them their effeminate drinks in hopes of returning to their abodes with a loose woman in their clutches. Apparently all who frequented this establishment were those whose IQs were diminished and brain cells were decimated by the excessive quantities of heady alcohol they consumed at an obscenely swift rate within a brief period of time.

This bar was the epitome of the human condition where bonds of marriage and friendship were cast aside in favor of a lust filled night with a stranger, here was where many were gifted with a recourse from the tribulations of their daily lives, this was where a world famous serial killer was able to assimilate into society and remain undetected even as many observed the face of Dr. Hannibal Lecter.


End file.
